Opinions vary about whether the confirmation of President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh would be good news or bad news for religious liberty, but one of a handful of church-state cases he has weighed during his 12 years…
Transitions for the week of 7-13-18
Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated weekly. STAFF CHANGES Sammy Ballard, to First Baptist Church, Mebane, N.C., as pastor. Greg DeLoach, to the James and Carolyn McAfee…
Mercer replaces McAfee dean
Mercer University has replaced the dean of the James and Carolyn McAfee School of Theology after two years on the job. Mercer President William D. Underwood said in an e-mail to McAfee’s board of visitors that Jeffrey Willetts, dean since…
Baptist uses literacy work to promote love, oppose ‘zero-tolerance’
There was plenty of outrage to go around in mid-June when news of President Trump’s zero-tolerance policy broke across the nation and the world. Non-stop images of infants, toddlers and other youth being ripped from their loved ones’ arms generated…
Ministry jobs and more
Baptist News Global provides a free listing of ministry-related jobs for Baptist churches, theological institutions and organizations across the United States. Each free posting is for 30 days and is limited to 150 words. Postings may be extended another 30…
Research group sees Catholics, Baptists and Mormons as Christians (because they say so)
It isn’t hard to find Baptists and other Protestants who believe Mormons are not Christians. But about half of all Americans and nearly every Mormon believe they are, the Pew Research Center has found. So who is right? Well, what…
Citing ‘God’s providence,’ Scott Pruitt resigns as head of EPA
With a letter referencing divine providence, Scott Pruitt, a Southern Baptist layman serving as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, resigned July 5 amid a series of controversies over spending and alleged self-dealing. Pruitt, a member of First Baptist…
Columnist Jonathan Merritt latest departure from RNS
Jonathan Merritt, an award-winning religion writer who contributes regularly to national publications including The Atlantic and The Week, has stepped down as senior columnist for Religion News Service, citing “irreconcilable differences” with his publisher and interim editor-in-chief. Merritt, son of…
Transitions for the week of 7-6-18
Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated weekly. STAFF CHANGES Justin Bishop, to Heritage Fellowship, Canton, Ga., as associate pastor. Mike Bumgarner, to Spring Creek Baptist Church, Norman,…
Researchers discover another reason Americans leave church
The forces driving Americans from churches apparently aren’t limited to the generational and cultural factors that grab headlines these days. LifeWay Research has found that departures also are likely to occur if a congregation’s core values are altered in some…
Court upholds decision barring pastor/judge from death penalty cases
A three-judge panel of federal appeals court on Monday dismissed a lawsuit testing the boundary between religious liberty and judicial restraint. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that Arkansas Judge Wendell Griffen’s lawsuit challenging his disqualification from…
Ministry jobs and more
Baptist News Global provides a free listing of ministry-related jobs for Baptist churches, theological institutions and organizations across the United States. Each free posting is for 30 days and is limited to 150 words. Postings may be extended another 30…